Seachange

In Australian culture, a seachange (or sea change) is a form of human migration where individuals abandon city living for a perceived easier life in rural coastal communities. The term was popularised by ABC TV series SeaChange, which prompted city-dwellers to escape to the coast as depicted by the series. The term originally comes from Shakespeare's The Tempest. The result of this phenomenon was a rapid boom in tourism and real estate development in coastal areas, particularly in New South Wales. A similar term, treechange, describes the movement of urban people to the countryside. The term "Tree Change" was first coined by ABC Ballarat radio mornings presenter Steve Martin on his radio talk back show after his five question morning challenge. SeaChange TV series In television series SeaChange, which originally ran 1998 to 2000, the main character Laura Gibson fulfils her escapist desire by leaving the city for a small seaside town after her career and family life in Melbourne falls apart. The series was one of the most popular programmes in Australia. The primary filming location was Barwon Heads on the Bellarine Peninsula.